MLB News

Rutgers, Iowa State to meet in Pinstripe Bowl

College football game to be played on Dec. 30 at Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees Media Relations

The Rutgers University Scarlet Knights of the Big East Conference and the Iowa State University Cyclones of the Big 12 Conference will play each other in the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, scheduled for Friday, December 30, 2011 at Yankee Stadium. Each school accepted bids this afternoon. A press conference with New Era Pinstripe Bowl participants and officials will be held on Wednesday, December 7 at 11:00 a.m. at Yankee Stadium. Further details will be provided in the near future.

The 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl will mark the first time Rutgers and Iowa State will play each other in college football.

The Rutgers University Scarlet Knights of the Big East Conference and the Iowa State University Cyclones of the Big 12 Conference will play each other in the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, scheduled for Friday, December 30, 2011 at Yankee Stadium. Each school accepted bids this afternoon. A press conference with New Era Pinstripe Bowl participants and officials will be held on Wednesday, December 7 at 11:00 a.m. at Yankee Stadium. Further details will be provided in the near future.

The 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl will mark the first time Rutgers and Iowa State will play each other in college football.

"We are excited to feature a neighboring school in Rutgers against an outstanding Big 12 representative in Iowa State for this year's New Era Pinstripe Bowl," said Mark Holtzman, Yankees Executive Director of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. "This first-ever football matchup between these schools offers each institution's dedicated fans the opportunity to celebrate the holiday season with a unique bowl experience in New York City and Yankee Stadium."

In 2010, the Syracuse Orange defeated the Kansas State Wildcats, 36-34, in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. It marked the first college football bowl game played in the Bronx since Nebraska edged Miami (Fla.), also by a score of 36-34, in the Gotham Bowl on December 15, 1962 at the original Yankee Stadium.

This will be Rutgers' second appearance at Yankee Stadium this season, after the Scarlet Knights defeated the Army Black Knights, 27-12, on November 12 in their first game in the Bronx since 1948. Rutgers, whose main campus in Piscataway, N.J., is located less than 50 miles away from Yankee Stadium, also played nine times at the original Yankee Stadium - all against New York University - going 1-7-1. This will mark the seventh time that the school has played in a bowl game, having tallied a 4-2 record in their previous six appearances with wins in each of their last four bowl games.

"It is a terrific situation when you can play your bowl game in the greatest city in the world," said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. "Getting an opportunity to play in a bowl game hosted by the New York Yankees is a great reward for our players."

For Iowa State, it will mark their first-ever appearance at the home of the Yankees (either the original or the current Yankee Stadium). Iowa State finished the regular season 6-6, handing Oklahoma State - the No. 3 team in the country - their only loss of the season, and defeating in-state rival Iowa as well as the Big East's University of Connecticut on the road. The Cyclones will appear in their seventh bowl game in the last 12 seasons, going 3-7 all time in bowl game appearances.

"We are thrilled to have the chance to extend our season with a bowl trip to New York City," said Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads. "Our team has improved all season, and is playing its best football. Every year we start with a goal of winning a bowl game, and we'll have the opportunity in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against an outstanding Rutgers team."

The New Era Pinstripe Bowl week of festivities will begin on Tuesday, December 27 with players, coaches and university staff taking part in a variety of events in the days leading up to the game, showcasing their respective universities to the New York metropolitan area. Special events, promotions and community outreach will take place throughout New York City during the week of the bowl game to once again create an unforgettable experience for fans, families, players and staffs of the two teams.

Tickets for the New Era Pinstripe Bowl are currently available at newerapinstripebowl.com, the official Web site of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, where fans can access up-to-the-moment information regarding the game and sign up to volunteer.

Kickoff for the New Era Pinstripe Bowl is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday, December 30. The game will be nationally televised by ESPN, which has also secured national and local radio rights for ESPN Radio. There is a four-year agreement extending through 2013 for the Big East and Big 12 to participate in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

Last week, it was announced that Yankee Stadium and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl will host the 2011 PSAL Football Championship Game on Tuesday, December 6 at 5:00 p.m. This will mark the second consecutive year that the league's title game will be held in Yankee Stadium. Last year, Fort Hamilton defeated Lincoln High School for the City Championship. In addition, the 2011 MVP Scholar Athletes from each of the five boroughs of New York City will be recognized on field during the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

The 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl will be the fourth college football game to take place at the current Yankee Stadium. The original Yankee Stadium played host to a number of college football games from the year it opened in 1923, including New York University and Fordham home games and the two schools' annual matchup. From 1925-46, and again in 1969, the annual Notre Dame-Army football game took place at Yankee Stadium, including the memorable "win one for the Gipper" matchup in 1928, and the 1946 contest which ended in a scoreless tie and featured four Heisman Trophy winners (Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis, Johnny Lujack and Leon Hart). From 1968-73 and '76-87, Grambling played a series of home games at Yankee Stadium, known as the Whitney M. Young Urban Classic.